Talk About Head Games, Ne?

Alright, so I just finished reading this book called Shutter Island -- they just made a movie out of it earlier this year. I don't know how true to the story the movie is, but the book is one hell of a ride. 

My one sister and I have this running joke that's going on between us. I was an assistant coach for my niece's cheerleading squad, and she and I were making shaking bottles for the parents to help with some of the cheers. We were talking about something, and all of a sudden, I go: "I'm just your imagination." I have no idea what we were talking about or how all that came about, but it just came out all of a sudden. Anywho, we were talking about how I really was just in her imagination. We concocted this whole big elaborate story about how she dreamed me up and why she dreamed up and how the whole family was going on  with it because the doctors said that it would eventually go away. And we were getting really scared about the whole thing, because we psyched ourselves out into believing that I really was just in her imagination. 

Even just thinking about it now freaks me out. And when I want to freak her out of play around with her, I'll start talking about how I was never really born -- how she just thought me up and my entire life is all in her head. And then we have to sit there and think of ways that solidify the fact that I'm really alive and breathing and real. But what makes the whole thing so scary is that no matter what it is we say that should be proof that I'm really here can somehow be twisted into me being just in her imagination. So, for example, I go to college. That should seem real enough, right? Yeah, no. As soon as she said that, we looked at each other, and we were like, yeah, but you could just be imagining the fact that I'm in a college that you pass(ed) on a daily basis. Just because I'm surrounded by people doesn't mean that I'm actually there. Just because I answer questions in class doesn't mean that I'm actually there. In fact, no one could see me and when I'm answering questions, everyone else could be reading something or looking something up or doing work. 

When you stop and think about it, it's really scary. No matter what you say to try to prove yourself existing, it can always be twisted into you not existing.  

 And that's sort of like what this book is like. The ending -- I'm not going to give it away -- makes you think. It's sort of like those books where you can choose what happens -- you know, like the if you want little Suzie to do this, turn to page 42. I don't know, it's just weird. On the one hand, you can believe this one thing. On the other hand, you can believe that one thing. Either he's this or he's that. It's the very last chapter that makes you rethink the last 40 or so pages of the book. Were those pages really "true"? Or was it all part of the "game" or "joke"? 

 

Decide whatever you want to decide, because after all, your choice is my choice, because, hey!, I'm just in your imagination...